Advice Need recommendations on building a multimedia system

[Ihatecaptchas]

I asked on another, non ssf related forum, but recently found this place. Hoping to get some feed back on a build

I’m looking to build a multimedia type rig to leave hooked up to my TV, mainly for playing games and watching movies / shows from an external drive. I was trying to do a console type set up where I could use a remote to play these games but I don’t know how well that would work being that they are PC games and all. I’m not much of a gamer (last games I bought were portal/HL2 series!) so I would like to build something that’s good enough to play many of the titles from then up to now. I don’t care much about max settings either. Just looking for fun and convenience.

I was looking at prebuilt mini gaming PCs and they seem relatively cheap, probably for good reason, so I was interested in building my own. There are so many different parts to choose from and it’s a bit overwhelming, so I’d like to get some input from you guys on where to start. If it helps, I’m in the US. I’d prefer to spend $500-$600 but I’m willing to spend up to $1k if necessary.

 

[Ihatecaptchas]

Sorry for the vague title. I can’t go back to edit it

 

[GuilleAcoustic]

I’d prefer to spend $500-$600 but I’m willing to spend up to $1k if necessary.

Are you confortable with building it yourself ? Are you opened to second hand components ?

Sorry for the vague title. I can’t go back to edit it

No worries, tell me what you'd like to use for the title. I'll change it for you.

 

[Ihatecaptchas]

I’m comfortable building it myself and I’m also fine with second hand parts. I built a few desktops a while ago in the early 2000s But I haven’t kept up with the tech since then.

Maybe “need recommendations on building a multimedia system“ probably sounds better thanks for the help

 

[GuilleAcoustic]

I’m comfortable building it myself and I’m also fine with second hand parts. I built a few desktops a while ago in the early 2000s But I haven’t kept up with the tech since then.

I'd say that it's even easier now since you don't need optical drives, sound card, ethernet card nor have to set any jumpers.

I'll take some time tonight to provide some advise.

Maybe “need recommendations on building a multimedia system“ probably sounds better thanks for the help

It's done ;-)

 

[Ihatecaptchas]

If it helps to narrow it down a bit, I was looking at the mini computers from asrock and it looks like they have barebone systems that support intel and amd. As far as what has the better APU or other specs, I'll leave that to you lol

 

[Frenzy]

I still use a "HTPC" setup to my TV. Play movies from my NAS and just general Win10 with youtube and internet options. Currently actually I just connected Microsoft Surface Go to my TV, works wel as media center.
Very slim and no fans. Only gaming is not really an option.

For a friend a built a system recently inside an In-Win Chopin ITX case with a CPU/APU.

Barebone wise, look at the Asus - PN51. with 5700U can do a bit of gaming allegedly.
I think this barebone style can go a bit loud though.

Bigger size with bigger heatsink APU and ITX case still overall better perhaps.

 

[GuilleAcoustic]

As far as what has the better APU or other specs, I'll leave that to you lol

Considering what you've already mentioned, I was going to suggest going with an APU. Intel iGPU are still no match for AMD ones, yet.

I'd go with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600G over the 5700G if it's for multimedia. It has one less CU (7 CU vs 8CU), but it doesn't make much difference. and the 8 cores from the 5700G aren't useful for your use cases.

Those APU likes to be paired with faster memory, but no need to go for those with ultra tight timings. Regular DDR4-3200/3600 will do the job (cf. memory bench below)


If you go with a 5600G, make sure to get a motherboard with a USB flashback button or have the retailer store flash the latest BIOS for you (those are new APUs and might not be supported out-of-the-box by the BIOS on your board).

The video I liked shows FPS in popular games, but you'll also be able to upgrade later with a discrete GPU if you need. Current GPU prices makes no-sense ....

 

[Ihatecaptchas]

That seems like the ‘catch‘ when going smaller right? Some things have to get sacrificed. I guess what I was trying to go for was a console type set up for a PC, with more of the emphasis on the gaming. Because this would be going in my room, I don’t have the standard desk/monitor set up, so I was hoping to leave it hooked up to my tv and play / watch from it using a gaming remote and a keyboard/touchpad. At first I was concerned regarding playing pc games with a remote but apparently a lot of them support it.

I also want to move away from using external drives due to speed limitation, appearance, and having to use up a USB port. In that case, going with the nuc style case probably won’t be in my best interest. It sounds like I should at least go big enough to where I can fit a GPU inside in the future like frenzy mentioned as well as have the space for 1-2 drives.

 

[Valantar]

There's a lot of enjoyment to be had with APU gaming, you just need to have realistic expectations I'm very happy with my 4650G HTPC, and a 5600G should be even better. Highly recommended. They sip power and run cool as well - mine is semi-passively cooled and even periodically shuts off its fan while gaming(!).

A lot of PC games have great controller support these days (and have had for the past... 5-7 years?). I would recommend an Xbox controller + their wireless dongle, as it's the lowest latency option (Bluetooth for controllers on PCs can be noticeably laggy). If you buy your games from Steam they have a '6-foot interface' for TV use called Big Picture Mode which can be set to autostart with the pc and is entirely controllable through a game controller. Though of course a wireless keyboard+touchpad combo will no doubt be useful still.

My HTPC lives in a Lazer3D HT5 case, which IMO is both very good looking and pretty small. It requires an external power brick in most cases though. The CG7 Cravo fits an internal TFX PSU and is thus a bit easier to configure. Of course there are tons of other options, I'm just partial to Lazer3D cases

 

[Ihatecaptchas]

Current GPU prices makes no-sense ....

No kidding.. I didn’t even realize what was going on until recently. I see GPUs being sold locally for $1500-$2k+ -_- I think integrated graphics will be fine for now considering I have a lot of catching up to do with the older titles.

 

[ironwright]

great thread, im in the same boat, i will follow this thread instead of starting another. essentially the 2 ryzen processors above is what im looking at buying, but im having a terrible time finding a motherboard

 

[Legion]

great thread, im in the same boat, i will follow this thread instead of starting another. essentially the 2 ryzen processors above is what im looking at buying, but im having a terrible time finding a motherboard

If what you actually mean here is you are having a hard time finding new motherboards that are "NOT" at inflated prices? Then that ship has sailed.

The B450 / B550 ITX motheboards have been steadily increasing in price for quite a while now. If you still want to build something like this for reasonable money. I'd start looking in the secondhand markets. The GIGABYTE B450 I AORUS PRO WIFI is a good choice for APU builds, if you find one just make sure it has a bios on it with support for the 5600G / 5700G APU's, or you have a way to flash that bios yourself if you find one.

Now if you mean that you just can't find a motherboard in your region at all?

A520I AC (rev. 1.x) Key Features | Motherboard - GIGABYTE U.K.

Lasting Quality from GIGABYTE.GIGABYTE Ultra Durable™ motherboards bring together a unique blend of features and technologies that offer users the absolute ...

www.gigabyte.com

Those are for sale at most Amazon stores (and other outlets) around the world.

 

[ironwright]

Legion said:

If what you actually mean here is you are having a hard time finding new motherboards that are "NOT" at inflated prices? Then that ship has sailed.

The B450 / B550 ITX motheboards have been steadily increasing in price for quite a while now. If you still want to build something like this for reasonable money. I'd start looking in the secondhand markets. The GIGABYTE B450 I AORUS PRO WIFI is a good choice for APU builds, if you find one just make sure it has a bios on it with support for the 5600G / 5700G APU's, or you have a way to flash that bios yourself if you find one.

Now if you mean that you just can't find a motherboard in your region at all?

A520I AC (rev. 1.x) Key Features | Motherboard - GIGABYTE U.K.​

Lasting Quality from GIGABYTE.GIGABYTE Ultra Durable™ motherboards bring together a unique blend of features and technologies that offer users the absolute ...

www.gigabyte.com
Those are for sale at most Amazon stores (and other outlets) around the world.
Click to expand...

thanks for the info, its not that i cant find a MB, its overwhelming with whats out there and the $$, i will look into the 2 boards above, i dont wish to derail this thread, i will hope this helps the OP as well, thanks you.

...... [Multi-post-merge] ......

i apologize, i just noticed the date of this thread, Sep 1, 2021, my bad!!

MODERATOR EDIT: I've merged your 2 posts. Please avoid multiposting and use the edit button instead . This helps with thread readability.